The Gift
by IvoryTroll
Summary: Everyone at Hogwarts had found that their voices had changed. For example, Harry sounded like Snape  and vice versa  and Dobby had been terrorizing the other house elves with Voldemort's high-pitched voice...When she found that gift she didn't expect this


It was a squarish oblong box, made of light brown cardboard and held together with sellotape. She wasn't sure how it had come to be there but there it was, placed as plain as day in the middle of her bed. (She was fairly sure it that it was in the middle of her bed but having not measured it she couldn't be certain) It looked fairly innocent, perched as still as only a box could be atop her bed but perhaps, she mused, it held a dangerous substance or a bomb that would go off only at her touch. Or perhaps it _was _innocent. Well, only one way to find out, she reasoned, as her hands reached for the package.

No sooner had she touched it did all the sellotape fall away. She jumped back in surprise, jerking her hand back as though she had been burned. A loud bang exploded, deafening her and causing her to fall over. "This is it, this is the end, I'm going to die." Her garbled thoughts ran as she squeezed her eyes tight shut, imagining the cold and hard hand of Death reaching out to grab her arm…

"Hello! I is sorry for startling you!"

Her eyes shot open in shock at the squeaky voice. It sounded like "Dobby? What the…" Looking at the owner of the voice that had so confused her, she realised her mistake. It wasn't a house elf from Harry Potter it was… well actually she wasn't too sure what it was.

"Dobby? Who is Dobby? I is He Who Must Not Be Named! Look I is needing your help. All of our voice has changed. I is not scary like this!"

As the… thing… spoke she realised that this was supposedly Lord Voldemort, which explained the red slits for eyes and white face. She burst out laughing that the 'Dark Lord' sounded like Dobby.

"You is seeing? I cant even say my name 'cause I is sounding like house elf! We is all like this! We is needing help!"

"B..But why me?" she stammered. This was very strange.

"'Cause you has read all of the books! You know them off by heart! You must come with me."

She shrugged and nodded. What was the worst that could happen? Immediately regretting that thought as hundreds of possible outcomes flooded through her head (She was going to a magical world after all) she held out her arm and with a loud _crack!_ they Disapparated.

As she stumbled onto hard, unforgiving concrete she realised that Voldemort had gone. With astonishing clarity she worked out that there was only one place he couldn't go which meant...

"I'm at Hogwarts? Hogwarts! Oh my goodness..."

"Indeed. Now, if you could come with me?"

She span round at the calm voice and stared into familiar yet alien twinkling blue eyes.

"Oh my god! Dumbledore! But..."

"But?" When no answer was forthcoming, Dumbledore continued, "No matter, I have a feeling I know. After all, you know what happens because of Ms. Rowlings' work. And that my dear is exactly how you can help us."

Half an hour later, her head was spinning. Everyone at Hogwarts had found that their voices had changed. For example, Harry sounded like Snape (and vice versa) and Dobby had been terrorizing the other house elves with Voldemort's high-pitched voice. Apparently Voldemort had cast a spell that had been designed to confuse them and, he had hoped, weaken their defences. However, something had gone wrong and it had backfired on him as well. Only Dumbledore, as the most powerful wizard, was unaffected.

Her role in this was that because she knew the school and characters so well, through J.K's books, she could envision a 'normal' Hogwarts again. Dumbledore could cast a spell over the Marauders Map while she envisioned Hogwarts as it should be.

Dumbledore had cast the spell so now she was sitting at his desk, head bent over the ragged parchment as she recalled voices and personalities of the magical world. It was hard to keep concentrating but after about two hours she nodded to Dumbledore who lifted the spell.

"Well done my dear!"

"Has it worked?"

"Hm... Let me just check. Dobby!" called Dumbledore cheerfully. With a loud _crack!_ Dobby materialised.

"You is calling master?" he said in his familiar voice.

With a wave of the hand, Dumbledore dismissed Dobby before turning back to her, smiling.

"I do believe it has my dear. Thank you most kindly."

"Oh," she said, blushing. "It was nothing really. Um... Thank you though."

He said nothing, instead smiling benignly as he tossed something small and round to her. She automatically caught it and no sooner had her fingers closed around it did she feel a tugging at her waist and felt the darkness spinning around her...

She landed awkwardly on her bed and saw the cardboard box on her bed. She glanced at it before turning back to the object which must have been a Portkey. She laughed. It was a little golden snitch. Looking closer she saw an engraving and read, "Thank You." Placing it carefully beside her she quickly opened the box, noting that the sellotape had resealed itself before undoing it.

In it was a cake in the shape of a wizard's hat with figurines of Voldemort, Dobby, Harry and Snape, all smiling (or scowling) up at her.


End file.
